I’ve only seen the start once, but I had the feeling, and it is reinforced by the first start picture, that Hamilton could just have closed the door on Alonso, in turns 1 and 2, sufficiently to prevent the Spaniard from passing. As it was, he allowed him enough space to get his front wing alongside, forcing himself wide and letting Alonso through. Especially at this stage of the season Fernando, that wily old fox that was making cautious noises about the start, has much more to lose than Hamilton. Completely academic given the way the race unfolded, of course.

Thought same thing too. He tried to squeeze the space between Webber and Vettel, but Vettel was fast enough to occupy ahead. Even after that, he would have been better off if he had followed that inside line where Alonso queued just behind. He lost precious times by swing back to outside of Webber.
In hindsight it would’ve been no avail though.

As a Vettel fan, I’m glad he has taken the champoinship lead and seems to be on his way to a hat-trick of WDC titles.
I now get it that if you are winning, people will never say you are the best, and will come up with reasons to diminish your achievement and excuses to cover up others shortcomings. I have heard it all, ‘it’s because redbull have the best car and the best engineers’, or ferrari don’t have a good car etc etc.
Apparently, he’s behind a guy who last won 6 years ago and has driven for 3 different cars, and a guy who won once and since then everyone seems to have made up their mind that he is the best. SMH.
Anyway, it’s not over till it’s over and Alonso is in the kind of position that one slip up from Vettel and we have a new top contender. He need’s to finish above Alonso for the remainder of the season and I dont see it happening unless Alonso fails to finish atleast one race.